Town Square

P-Town teacher salaries

Original post made
by ?????, Mohr Park,
on May 28, 2009

Has anyone researched the salaries of Pleasanton teachers and the surrounding communities, and in general Bay Area teacher salaries? How about their schedules on raises, starting salaries, benefits, etc. I know many will say we are better than those other communities, or ask do we want to be like Oakland, etc. I just thought that it would be interesting and/or beneficial to compare with other 'good districts' like say Danville, or others with equal or better test scores. Does more money mean better schools always? Do some get more and have lower scores or vice versa? I know it's more expensive to live here than many other places and that commuting is a legitimate option also.

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Posted by Pleasanton Parent
a resident of Pleasanton Meadows
on May 28, 2009 at 1:00 pm

The information you're asking for can be found at the following websites:
www.savepleasantonschools.org (Pro-G)
www.pleasantonparceltaxinfo.com (Opposition to G)
www.pleasanton.k12.ca.us (Pleasanton unified school district)

To summarize however, Pleasanton teacher's average salary is $84,000 per year for ~178 days of work. The state average is around $64,000.

The SPS site will state that Pleasanton teachers are required to purchase their own healthcare that can be up to $12,000 in cost per year. What they will not tell you what the average healthcare cost per teacher is. The reason being, 60% of the teachers don't purchase their own healthcare as they get it through other means (i.e. spouse).

Step and column increases for the next four years are projected to total $15 million.

Thank you,
Average of over $470 a day. Not bad. That's an average so some get more and some get less I guess. $1,000 a month for health care? Must include dental, vision, and a few dependants. Health care costs are another issue all together.

Something to take into account when looking at salaries in general and not just Pleasanton teachers: salaries are dependent on supply/demand and the job location. For example, by offering more money, an employer will then have a significantly higher pool of applicants, resulting in a more skilled workforce.

Also, if you are an employer in an area that has a high cost of living, you also have to pay more.

So in the case of PUSD, they need to pay more due to the high cost of the Tri-Valley area, and also decide to pay more to attract a larger pool of applicants.

As an example, I could probably work for half my salary in the Central Valley since the cost of living is probably a third there.

One last thing, the median salary of Pleasanton teachers is about $72,000. This means that half the teachers get less than this amount and half get more. Using average salaries can be misleading since the number can be skewed heavily in one direction or another. Same concept of using the median home price to truly get an idea of a city's housing costs.

Posted by well not exactly
a resident of Pheasant Ridge
on May 28, 2009 at 4:20 pm

Henry- Supply and demand does not fit this case very well. If the demand is high then prices go up with products. With jobs if demand is high price goes down since people will work for slightly less then the other guy to get the job. If salary is high demand goes up. It's actually an inverse relation like a 'giffen good'. This is not an option with the union since starting salaries are set. Without it people would start for less.
Secondly median might be a better judge if you randomly asked a teacher about their salary, but not for the total expenditure for salaries. It actually shows that some are making much more than the median when the average is higher than the median.
As far as cost of living commuting from Hayward or Fremont is feasible.
Also if the pay is to offset the living expense you do not get a better pool of applicants, it's just to cover cost of living. So you are arguing with two competing arguments.

You can also see the average years teaching:
Dublin - 12
Livermore - 13.5
Pleasanton - 9.8
San Ramon - 12.3

Interesting that Pleasanton has the highest average teacher salary AND the lowest number of average years teaching.

Our teachers do not receive additional health benefits. The teachers took a vote some time ago and decided they would rather have a higher salary than health benefits because most teachers had a spouse with health benefits. Plus with the higher salaries (instead of health benefits) their retirement pay is greater since retirement pay is based on their salary. I believe I read that only about 30% of the employees take health care benefits.

BUT, if you are with the district for at least 10 years, you can retire and the district (i.e., the taxpayers) will pay 100% of your medical insurance until you get to medicare.

Just went to Open House last night - fantastic! Our teachers earn every penny. I am so proud of our school, and grateful to our teachers for providing wonderful educational opportunities for Pleasanton's kids!

Posted by No on G
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 29, 2009 at 8:42 am

KGM,

The open house for our family was also last night and I am also so thankful for the experience provided by the teachers here. That is why it is so terrible that the district has really set us all up for failure.

Hopefully after G fails, we'll get back and really works out something to work for the teachers AND the community. We need to really work hard to make sure this doesn't happen again in the future.

Posted by LCG
a resident of Pleasanton Meadows
on May 29, 2009 at 8:53 am

Yes, KGM, open house last night was a fantastic show of how much our teachers do for our kids every day, and how hard they work. I was so impressed with all that my son has learned this year. I agree that our teachers earn every penny. I hope this quality and attention are still feasible when my little one gets to school.

Posted by LCG
a resident of Pleasanton Meadows
on May 29, 2009 at 8:56 am

West side observer, Elementary open house has been the Thursday after Memorial day every year that my child has been in school. It is about celebrating the children's growth and achievements. It's not political.

Posted by Ken in South Pleasanton
a resident of Downtown
on May 29, 2009 at 9:03 am

I also don't have children in the Pleasanton Schools, but, as a member of the community I feel I have a responsibility to insure that the children in our community receive a good education that allows them to become responsible, critical thinkers. I don't mind paying taxes for this when those taxes are used to this end.
I think the information about teachers' salaries is interesting but is a tangent to the real problem. I believe the real problem is poor management in the district offices and lack of long-range planning. Repeating an earlier comment in another post, times have changed. We are all being forced to change our paradigms and adjust to the new economy and the new realities that face us. PUSD and shools cannot ask us for money (taxes) to maintain the status quo. They must change with the times. This requires visionary leadership, something I don't see in our current PUSD staff. For this reason, I am reluctant to, and will not, support measure G. My NO vote has nothing to do with teachers' salaries.

A Pleasanton Resident,
I sympathize with your situation. However, you should know that the teachers have also agreed to workday reductions to save money for the district in this difficult economy.

This measure is not about giving teachers special treatment. It is about preserving the educational standards in our community across the board (staffing, services, programs, etc.). Providing an education for a population is not the same as private-sector profit-making endeavors, and can't be compared evenly.

Posted by teacher's daughter
a resident of Birdland
on May 29, 2009 at 10:34 am

Has anyone done a study on how much a teacher pays for their school supplies and the supplies of the students? My mom spends probably $2-3K a year on supplies for her students. She teaches fifth grade and has bought a number of students lunch because they didn't have any money.

When she gave birth to my brother and me she didn't get paid. There is no disability for teachers.

Here's my mom's average schedule:
5:30-6am up and getting ready
7:00 at school getting ready for the day
Teaching until 3pm
Meeting with students and parent till 5pm
Dinner
Grading papers from 7pm to 9 or 10pm
then to bed

It's a long work day, especially with all the papers she has to grade. Then during her summer she has meetings and conferences to go to.

Thank you to the parent to posted the starting salary for P-Town teachers. So if the AVG Salary is $85K with a starting salary of $56K, we are looking at high salaries of $110K. Moreover, this means 50% of the teachers are getting above $85K and depending on how many 'new' teachers we have, a lot of the 'experienced' teachers are getting very well compensated. So let's not deceive ourselves on how 'poorly' paid the teachers are and let others deceive you when they use AVG salary #'s. Don't get me wrong, teachers are very valuable for our kids' education. But when an 'experienced' teacher who doesn't perform, he/she is safe from being 'let go' because he/she has tenure. So, we are paying BIG BUCKS for bad teachers. Should the tenure system be changed? Is this something no one in their right mind would dare to tackle? Is UNION a monopoly or what?

I just don't get why the arguments are immediately taken to the negative here. A discussion of teacher salaries turns into comments about paying "big bucks" for bad teachers? The tenure debate has been raging for ages, in all different sorts of educational settings. Other public professions have parallel scenarios. A discussion of the issues of tenure is a separate topic unto itself.

I don't believe anyone is promoting a deceptive argument that teachers are poorly paid. Rather, people are trying to make observations about the good work that teachers do and the extras involved in teaching that are not taken into account when someone claims that teachers are making "over $470 a day." Now THAT is a deceptive argument.

I believe that teaching is an extraordinarily valuable profession and teachers should be compensated accordingly.

How is it deceptive that teachers average more than $470 a day? $84,000 average salary divide by 178 days of teaching? If it was an daily wage that's what it would be. If you want to spread it over the year and weekends you would get diffrent numbers but most jobs don't afford the vacation time and ability to have other "summer jobs"

Posted by beth
a resident of Deer Oaks/Twelve Oaks
on May 29, 2009 at 11:15 am

$470 is deceptive because it doesn't include (1) teacher prep days, (2) conferences that teachers need to go to (not the ones at school) or (3) the days and weeks the teachers spend to prepare their curriculums, classrooms, etc...

Posted by parent
a resident of Amador Valley High School
on May 29, 2009 at 11:15 am

There are always openings for teachers for summer school in our district. Our district wants to use teachers from our district but not enough apply so we hire teachers from other district to make up the difference. For those teachers who want to make more money and do not desire the amount of vacation that is significantly more than the private sector, we have opportunities in our district.

Posted by parent
a resident of Amador Valley High School
on May 29, 2009 at 11:20 am

beth, I work a salary job and do not get paid extra for my prep days, additional education, and traveling and conferences that I need to do; whether it is on a weekday or a weekend. I am also on-call during my vacation to answer phone calls/emails when things arise. Unless you are a grocery checker, you probably work more hours then you are compensated for; it is part of the program. Personally I spend a lot of time reading and researching for my industry so I can stay on top of things for my own value. I know I will not be staying in my job forever so I need to keep up on the industry to keep myself marketable.

1. You are only talking about teaching days. Teachers work more days than just the teaching days. It is not a daily wage. If you want to make the argument fair, look at an hourly wage. That would show a more realistic scenario.

2. You can't include unpaid "vacation time" in a discussion of daily wage, especially when you are only counting teaching days in your calculations.

3. The opportunity for a teacher to take an additional "summer job" has no place in this discussion. It is a discussion of the salaries teachers earn for their teaching jobs, not additional jobs they can take.

KGM, I disagree with you regarding keeping tenure out of the entire discussion here. The issue is not just about teacher pay. It's the entire package. It's a tough problem but it's something that MUST be put on the table somewhere along the way. So, why not the present? Are we going to avoid this issue forever? It's not popular but it's something that must be addressed. Yes, this applies to professors too at Universities. So, why should I continue to subsidize bad performing teachers while new (and maybe better) teachers are being let go? Where is the fairness in this? In industry, salary (non-union) workers have no seniority in most cases. It's pay for performance.

I believe in pay by performance so if I am not mistaken Pleasanton schools average test scores would rank highest on in valley on average. Let’s put average test scores next to the salaries and then let’s see how they stack up. I don’t mind paying more as long as I am getting the best.

Posted by Get Real
a resident of Valley View Elementary School
on May 29, 2009 at 12:05 pm

What salaried employee doesn't work more than whatever regular working hours they were hired to work and also take work home?
I believe many teachers do work more hours than the 7 hours a day specified in their contracts. But this is no different than what is true for salaried employees in the private sector.

What is frustrating as a parent are the teachers who do not keep up with grading homework and tests so that neither the parents nor the kids have any idea of the student's grade in the class until progress reports, when teachers are required to provide that information.

To A+'s point, average test scores shows the students are performing and we must also give credit to the students for learning too. However, lets not forget in any organizations there are bad apples and fat; therefore, we must keep trimming the fat and cut out the bad apples. There are no organizations that has 100% A+ performers. So, lets look ourselves in the mirror. I want to make this a win-win situation for P-Town.

Posted by Parent & Wife of a Teacher
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 29, 2009 at 12:08 pm

Medical costs just went up to over $1800/month for Health Net and $1400/month for Kaiser add to that Dental, Vision and insurance because if my husband gets injured he doesn't get disability from the state and when he retires he doesn't get social security even though he pays into social security. He starts work at 7:30 every morning to prep and give additional help to students in need and stays every night till at least 5 sometimes 6 at night. Again prepping, grading, tutoring students. He doesn't get bonuses or overtime. Teachers are also required to attend meetings and after school activities without any extra compensation. Being a teacher is a lot like being a parent, the job never ends! Medical goes up every year and the step increases and COLA DO NOT cover those increases. So while Pleasanton does pay better than other districts don't think it's not well earned. We've lived and worked in other school districts and Pleasanton is in a class of it's own. You start to take away from the schools and everyone will see a world of difference not just in the schools but in the whole city! Once the community gives up on the schools, kids, parents everyone will start putting in less effort, being less involved, test scores will go down, property values will go down. Before you know it you may as well be living in Hayward. Schools are vital to our community and a couple of hundred dollars added on to your tax bill is a small price to pay in the long run!!!

I am confused. I keep reading about how big and powerful the California teachers unions are. Wouldn't it make sense for the unions to negotiate an insurance program for its members?
I've worked for small companies and big companies, and my insurance costs have been less with the bigger companies.
I know that the unions work at getting more for their members, but wouldn't it be helpful if they also worked on helping to reduce costs for their members?
I have also heard that the teachers union charges up to $1,000 a year for dues. Is that true?
If it is, has the union considered reducing dues during this terrible economy?
I'm not trying to criticize teachers. I think your insurance costs are very high. I was just wondering if your union could help get those costs down.

No on G,
Thanks for the compliment, but my questions come out of my own experience. I can't change the fact that our household income has been reduced due to wage cuts, so I have to look for ways to cut expenses.
When I read about the millions the teachers unions spend on political campaigns, I wonder why they don't use some of their money and power to help their members.
It's a bad economy for everyone and I would hope the unions would try to find ways they can help their members.

Posted by retired
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 29, 2009 at 5:34 pm

To set the retirement medical statement straight; after 32 years of teaching with PUSD, I received 5 years of paid medical, dental insurance . I now pay for my own medical & dental. I believe some district administrators get lifetime packages, but not teachers. So, for the parent that stated "...after only 10 years of teaching, the district (taxpayers)will pay 100% of medical insurance to the teaaher.." Please get your facts straight before you mouth off grossly incorrect statements. And, for the record, while I was working, I paid monthly $1045 for my family's medical and $145 dental. I'm not complaining, just stating a fact.

Ken said it well. They must all 'change with the times'. I got a GREAT public educ with SO LITTLE. Of course we didn't have to educate all of Mexico, etc. etc. & others. It's just not fair to OUR kids. Missing on that great salary schedule above was the EXCESSIVE
ADMINISTRATION $ SCHEDULE. Reality bites, so they usually DODGE that sticky bit of info! Several PROFESSIONALS in my family are doing MORE, (because of CO-worker layoffs),and doing MORE with LESS,
i.e. ANNUAL SALARY SCHEDULE CUTS plus furlough days!! THAT's reality !...not just an INservice day ! pleeeeeeeeze But the REAL culpritis in the "ADMINISTRATION" catagory ! On a CNN TV show last week they were lamenting CA education system..... little district ADMINISTRATORS make more that what is budgeted for Governor...(of course Arnold has never taken any pay)...but as ALLOWED in CA budget.

I'd like to know the ADMINISTRATION pay schedule of 3 years ago, last year, this year, AND next year. And these "POSTPONE" deals are fools folly ! Just ADD ON DEBT. POSTPONE NEVER SOLVES anything ! We MUST run things like families have to. The message was clear last week. MOST of us have hit our limit.
....and those recently EMPTY parcels won't be payiny taxes ! Do we want MORE empty parcels? Let the Supt. start with the top, down.

Posted by No on G
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 29, 2009 at 7:38 pm

Confused,

You are on the right track...for ALL of us. See, you are motivated to look at cost savings while maintaining your home the best you can. This is what happens with a deficit in anyone's revenue. You are looking at it, because there are "real people" you care about involved.

This is exactly what the district and the SPS crowd are NOT doing. They don't want to adjust for anything, unless they have to. Proof? They put this on the ballot before 1) they did a thorough analysis of excesses 2) offered solutions using the existing spending.

They do not care about this community. They just want money and the union does too. The teachers, willingly or not, in "general" stand behind the union and act like victims and that it is out of their hands.

Posted by Retired Pleasanton Teacher
a resident of another community
on May 30, 2009 at 9:28 am

"BUT, if you are with the district for at least 10 years, you can retire and the district (i.e., the taxpayers) will pay 100% of your medical insurance until you get to medicare."
The reality is...
I retired from Pleasanton Unified after 20 years. Since I did not take the insurance option while I was employed,(I used my husband's insurance), I was not able to take it in retirement. If I had been able to take that option, it would cost me $2200 monthly for 2009-2010...so much for the district paying 100% of retirement healthcare.

Posted by Bite Me
a resident of Bridle Creek
on May 30, 2009 at 12:12 pm

All this negativity toward teachers is uncalled for. It's like hating the guy who serves your hamburger at McDonald's. He's really too busy to give a crap about how the company is being run. Teachers are a highly educated asset to our community. If you want em' pay em'. If not say good bye! To compare the teachers union to GM unions is just stupid. GM makes a product that people buy or they don't. Teachers teach kids. They don't sell them. In my opinion they do a damn good job here in Pleasanton and I will pay a measly 64 cents a day to keep the people and programs that are successful. This blog is filled with bitter haters. Those of you who are unemployed are likely just jealous because teachers have a more stable job. You could have found a more stable career path too. You do have options, this is America. And your personal financial problems likely have more to do with your inability to reign in your and your children's spending than it does with the economy. I don't really care if measure G passes. I have enough money to move to a better school district if needed. I'll just hire one of you to pack my boxes. AND, I won't even make you pay taxes on those wages. I bet that will make you happy!

Posted by Be accurate and truthful
a resident of Birdland
on May 30, 2009 at 2:48 pm

Bite me,

If the parcel tax ballot language guaranteed that the PUSD would retain existing CSR policies and guaranteed the existing math and reading specialists and programs would remain, and the same staffing level of counselors would remain, there would be more support for it.

There are no guarantees in the ballot language.

The only response the School Board has made about the way the parcel tax language was written was that they needed flexibility.

There is nothing stopping the school district from publishing a memorandum to the community expanding upon the ballot language and in writing assuring the community that the parcel tax funds would mean that
-class sizes in K-3 would have a 20:1 ratio
-class sizes in 9th grade would have a 25:1 ration
-no reduction in existing counselor levels at all schools
-existing reading (particularly the Barton Reading program) and math programs and specialists for these programs would be retained
-existing technology specialists would not have their hours reduced or jobs cut
-existing music programs at all schools would be retained
-personnel to insure the schools' cleanliness and safety would not be reduced

If the school district is willing to put this in writing, I will be very glad to vote for Measure G. The lack of specific guarantees coming from a school district that has demonstrated poor decision making and a lack of credibility gives me no confidence that the vague language in the Measure G ballot will provide what the community has already stated are their priorities for their children's education.

Posted by frank
a resident of Pleasanton Heights
on May 31, 2009 at 9:45 pm

So, Retired Pleasanton Teacher confirms that the lucrative health insurance benefit for retirees is true... just that his/her reality is one of wrong choice. You should have foregone the money and took the benefit!!!

Bite Me... your post wreaks of hate for anyone who dares criticize G and teachers, who have posed on the front page of PW in pink shirts, all in support of G to keep their step and column benefits intact. Since you drip in such wealth that you claim you possess, why do you send your kids (if you have any) to public schools? Your condescending attitude speaks volumes for your credibility regarding any serious discussion of issues.

Your argument about "this is America" seems to imply everyone should work for government!! Get a clue.. there is no government sector without the private sector. We are the golden goose that lays all of those eggs for "stable jobs". Tell us where these stable jobs like teaching are in the private sector..

Posted by lisa
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jun 1, 2009 at 1:15 am

Vote No will prevent a problem for me.
Who says if the cost of living is higher in an area you pay more?
I have never heard that is whatsalaries are based on.
Why are teacher salaries so low in Hawaii then?
I live here...teach elsewhere. Many teachers here live elsewhere.
So that arguement is absurd.
Bottom line is teacher salaries here are higher.
Many of us who live here are already suffering. Let it go. It is a bad time to ask anyone for more money.
NO ON MEASURE G
NOT NOW

Posted by pleasantonian
a resident of Del Prado
on Jun 1, 2009 at 5:30 am

The budget debacle is awful for everyone, but who would suffer the most? Those who did nothing to cause it and who can do nothing to change it: our youth! Everyone is bickering about wanting to see changes in the compensation of teachers and administrators, but in the meantime, kids's lives cannot be put "on hold" for the changes. That is what is at stake, their education-their future!

If Measure G fails, the safety of students will also be at risk. The counselors at every level, elementary included, are seeing more suicidal students, yet they are being cut. I'll bet you'll be seeing more teens hanging out at the mall and at your local park. Wouldn't you rather keep them in school and give them an education for their future?

The college bound students will also be affected since some of the classes for Jrs and Srs are being cut. Some students were counting on these courses for college applications, as they help show depth of study and its so competitive to get into colleges nowdays. CSR allowed the flexibility to have those options.

So much is at stake. And the amount of time it would take to figure out and make improvements would be years. But time doesn't stand still. Keep the youth in our community in your thoughts. They deserve a solid education. And a huge side benefit to having quality schools is our homes keep their top property values.

Posted by Kathleen Ruegsegger
a resident of Vintage Hills
on Jun 1, 2009 at 7:11 am

Pleasantonian: What is needed locally is the same thing that is needed at the state level--systemic change. It's about living within their means. In the one year it would take to do this properly, the students will be fine.

Posted by Tim
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jun 1, 2009 at 9:15 am

I would like all the No voters to agree to pay for the home value that I lose over the next 5 to 10 years because our Pleasanton School District does not have the proper funding to stay competitive with our neighboring cities.

$233 per year for 4 years will be a lot less than having to pay me my lost Real Estate value. When Livermore and Dublin close the gap on the quality of school districts and home owners begin to look and buy in those two cities first - knowing they can save on average $150,000 in home value and put there young kids in a school district that has better funding and has began to close the gap on the Pleasanton School district.

Posted by Concerned mom
a resident of Amador Valley High School
on Jun 1, 2009 at 11:43 am

I would like to support the statement of "Pleasantonian". As the parent of an upcoming senior, I see what the uncertainty of funding is doing to class planning, for example, for next year. To those who have distanced themselved from this situation (it is only one year in their lives....) please have some empathy for those who are affected most by the changes - our Pleasanton students, staff, and teachers. Voting on principle is fine, but there are real people in this community, your neighbors and friends, whose lives and future may be changed by your vote.

Posted by ellen lathlean
a resident of Pleasanton Valley
on Jun 1, 2009 at 11:50 am

Please vote for Measure G.

I am a retired (1968-1995) Pleasanton teacher. I taught in other districts before coming to Pleasanton. I still substitute in Pleasanton. I had at least thirty-two students when teaching full time. The benefits of smaller class size are many. Less crowded classrooms, more individualized teaching and class participation.
I substitute in all of the elementary schools in the district and can assure you that the classes I sub in are taught by professionals. The lesson plans are complete, the rooms and materials well organized, and activities suited to the students, and students are enthusiastic. I enjoy each day I'm in class.
Pleasanton teachers spend a great deal of time (and their own money) educating their students.
My daughter teaches in a large district in Southern California. I can assure you that her supplies and equipment, plus additional school services for the students, do not compare with Pleasanton.
Let's give our children the educational experience we can.
It doesna't matter that we have no children in the district. The children in our community are our future. Their educational experience impacts all of us.

Posted by Dawn
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jun 1, 2009 at 12:08 pm

Tim,
I wish you and others like you would get your heads out of the sand and quit spewing fear facts that just are not true. Measure G has nothing to do with property values. If truth be known, you already know this. If your property value decreases over the next 5 to 10 yrs., you only have yourself to blame along with Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, their Democrat cronies, who voted with them, as well as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This is where your property value problems all started. And don't try to back up your argument by trying to unsuccessfully pin it on our past President. Although I did not agree with his stimulus spending during the end of his term; other monies were rightfully spent on our Military so you and your Family might be protected from another 911 etc.. Before the first stimulus money was unwisely spent in my book, unfortunaetly Military spending was a necessary item. So please do not insult most people's intelligence by writing deceitful things like your property value is tied to Measure G. What is tied to G is the fact our tax dollars were not spent wisely by the District! And -- you want to give them some more money to waste!! Keep putting your band aid on the problem instead of fixing the REAL problem. Enough is Enough. Whether Measure G passes or fails, people will still continue to re-locate to Pleasanton for all of the other wonderful amenities our fine City posesses and offers to the Community. Schools are only one part. The City of Pleasanton will always be ahead of the game and people will continue to move here.

Dawn,
The people who have their heads in the sand are the ones who think people who are moving to Pleasanton are not being drawn here by the reputation of the district. People with school-aged children are not paying a premium for a home in Pleasanton simply because it's a nice "community" with "wonderful amenities." Neighboring communities are also nice and have wonderful amenities. The superb education system her in Pleasanton is a HUGE factor drawing people to this town, and plays a big role in housing values compared to surrounding cities.

Funding for education is being cut at the state level. That is why we need Measure G. Unlike surrounding communities, Pleasanton has not passed a parcel tax to support education, and we have still managed to do okay - until now.

Posted by KIDDING?
a resident of another community
on Jun 1, 2009 at 12:40 pm

Dawn

You've got to kidding if you think the housing crisis was all the fault of democrats and not republicans. Military spending is going up with Obama, not down. Fannie and Freddie was only a part of the what led to the housing crisis and plenty of republicans went along (republicans controlled congress when the regulation of Fannie and Freddie failed). Bush had federal funds building houses and underwriting loans too. Alphonso Jackson had to resign in disgrace.

Bush bragged in a press conference with Jackson that home-ownership had reached record levels in the US due to his policies. Worse than that, he ignored the warnings of his own people (Sheila Bair) that regulation had become too lax with regard to mortgage origination. The Bush administration was throwing gasoline on the fire.

Then there is the whole issue if derivatives deregulation. If Phil Gramms' bill that deregulated credit default swaps (Financial Services Modernization Act) had not passed, there would not have been a need for massive bailouts.

There is so much blame to go around, I don't think it does any good to make this a partisan issue.

Posted by Dawn
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jun 1, 2009 at 12:56 pm

KGM,
Spin it anyway you want. I moved here over 30 yrs. ago and like most everyone else, it wasn't for the schools. Those of us who moved here way back when, helped to mold and make our Schools what they are today. Hundreds of us volunteered our time and money. We were the ones spurring the District on. We placed our faith, backbone and money into it. We sat on Commissions, served on Youth Committees, served as School Site Members etc. the list goes on and on. This is what made the School District great. We supported and helped our Teachers. My children attended 12 yrs. of Pleasanton Schools and and now my Grandchildren attend the same Schools. One of my Children is a Teacher and a Union Rep.. Unfortunately, the present District Admin. and Board members have not spent our money wisely. Fix the problem, don't add to it. Passing G will not fix the problem! Fix the problem! If you really care then FIX the PROBLEM! Don't keep asking for a hand out.

Dawn,
Thank you for your efforts over the last 30 years to make PUSD a great district. You have actually helped make my point. Thirty years ago, people didn't move here for the schools. A lot has changed in that time, and now, with housing prices and economic competition at a global level evolving they way they have, people ARE willing to pay more money to live in Pleasanton - because of the reputation of the schools. It's got nothing to do with "spin," and everything to do with people wanting to provide their kids with the best opportunities possible in the changing landscape of the global marketplace. School today is nothing the same as it was 30 years ago - when I started school. Everything is more advanced and competitive from Kindergarten forward - because we have to be to keep our own country at the top of it's game.
Measure G supporters are not asking for a "hand out," and that's frankly an unfair tone for you to take. We ARE trying to fix the problem, at the local level.

Posted by Retired Pleasanton Teacher
a resident of another community
on Jun 1, 2009 at 1:55 pm

"So, Retired Pleasanton Teacher confirms that the lucrative health insurance benefit for retirees is true... just that his/her reality is one of wrong choice. You should have foregone the money and took the benefit!!!"

Boy, Frank, you can certainly turn a phrase around to suit your purposes. Let me say this again...slowly...If I, as a retired teacher, had taken the healthcare benefit offered, it would cost me $2200 monthly for the next school year. Who knows what it would cost for the years beyond that.

That is hardly a "lucrative" benefit. Remember, Pleasanton teachers PAY THEIR OWN INSURANCE.

Posted by Dawn
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jun 1, 2009 at 3:06 pm

KGM and Kidding,
You both sound like Real Estate agents worried about lining your own pockets full of Fool's Gold. You have an agenda and nothing anyone says will change your minds. Greed is amazing. The reason things are different today and as bad as they are for some is because of selfish people, who spend, spend and never save for a rainy day. Just like the District. Those of us who have been here awhile, know what it is to do alot with little. You don't seem to hold others accountable. You figure throwing money at a problem will fix it. You are too lazy to set a wrong right. You would rather ignor the problem and ask others for more money. More money is only ratifying the Admins errors. Save your breath for someone else. I will no longer respond to that hand you are holding out for someone to fill. Adios.

Dawn,
Firstly, I'm not a real estate agent, so neither your starting sentence nor any of the rude comments following it are applicable to my viewpoint.
I'm sorry you don't agree with the points I've made, but nothing Kidding or I have posted warrants such a hostile and disrespectful post from you.